Automation hits middle-tier

as automation takes hold of Middle-tier workers “at-risk” UK imagination and habits

UP TO 30 percent of UK jobs — 10.5 million of them — are considered “highly automatable”, and globally, some 75 million jobs are likely to be displaced by AI.

Data show that employment growth has been greatest at the extreme ends of the spectrum: the top and bottom 20 percent. In-between there has been a hallowing-out of jobs.

The middle-tier workforce is falling victim to the “automation paradox”. These findings come from a report published by recruitment firm Robert Walters and market intelligence company Vacancy Soft.

“As businesses become ever more reliant on AI, there is an increasing amount of pressure on the processes of data capture and

Data-related

roles are up

by 80 percent

integration,” said Robert Walters principal Ollie Sexton.

“Next generation” roles were being created as others disappeared, he said — with data-related roles up 80 percent since 2015. Sexton pointed to the emergence of data scientist as a mainstream profession, where vacancies are up 110 percent year-on-year. “The same trend can be seen with data engineers, averaging 86 percent year-on-year job growth,” he said.

Industries most disrupted by AI are: • Retail: AI is being used to drive consumers back to the “bricks-and-mortar 2.0” with selfcheckout and pattern monitoring, data to enhance the in-store experience, and linking online and offline channels. • Business support: AI has been implemented at every level, from spam filters and smart emails to smart personal assistants such as Siri, Cortana, and Google Now. It also dominates customer support and business forecasting. • Healthcare: Google’s DeepMind is being taught to read retinal scans, while healthcare

apps are saving GPs time, assisting with safety and training, and removing bias and inequality.

“The concern should not be about jobs being displaced,” says Tom Chambers of Robert Walters, “but whether our workforce is ready and prepared to accommodate a job boom within data and digitalisation.

“In the tech field, 56 percent of professionals lack sufficient experience for the role, while 51 percent lack the technical skills.” Another recent survey found that just 10 percent of cybersecurity professionals, 31 percent of data management professionals, and 27 percent of software developers rated their skills as “advanced”. Almost 40 percent said their skills were at the “beginner” level.

“Historically, the UK has been able to attract skilled IT and data professionals from across the EU,” adds Chambers, “…but with the current political climate this may become more of a challenge.”

The upskilling of mid-tier UK talent – in London in particular – could create an opportunity for Britain to be at the centre of the tech and AI revolution,” he said.